Ambling in Amberley

Loyd Grossman says: 'This is one of my favourite walks which takes in a beautiful Medieval church and one of the prettiest villages in West Sussex. All in all the walk is around 4 miles long.'

Find out more about St Mary's Church, North Stoke

Walk details

Download this walk with a map as a printable PDF

Start your journey at Amberley station (from where an hourly service operates 7 days per week to London, Arundel and Bognor Regis).

On leaving the station turn left under the bridge then left again onto Stoke Road (following the signpost for North Stoke). Walk for approximately half a mile until you reach the village.

Turn right at the telephone and post boxes and you’ll have your first sighting of the church, St. Mary The Virgin.

St.Mary’s beautifully combines rustic charm and fine architecture with an atmosphere of centuries of prayer.

Until recently the church was known as North Stoke Church. But in 2007 a letter dated 1275 from a bishop to King Edward I was discovered in the archives at Kew which named the church as St. Mary.

After exploring this peaceful church, there is a pleasant alternative walk back to Amberley. Re-trace your steps out of the village until you pass a camp site on your right-hand side.

Just after this on the left you’ll see a ‘Public Footpath’ sign which will take you along a footpath bordered by trees on both sides which takes you through fields to the river.

Turn right when you reach the river and follow this back to Amberley. You’ll be rewarded with some magnificent views over the South Downs. Just be aware that the path can get very muddy in inclement weather!

If you have time it’s well worth continuing on to the beautiful village of Amberley, full of thatched cottages and pretty gardens. The walk is a further 15 minutes along the main road (there is however a separate path alongside the road).

Whilst in Amberley village be sure to visit St Michael’s Church, a stunning building dating from the 12th-century. Amberley Village Tea Rooms are well worth a visit – many people think they have the best scones in the county (open weekends only in March and October and daily throughout the summer months). There’s also The Black Horse pub in the village if you’re after something a little stronger.

From the village it’s a 15 minute walk back to Amberley station.

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Loyd Grossman